Back in 2003, a schoolboy sitting at his home computer was messing around on the internet and, without fully realising it, opened a window for the Irish language. That window was Vicipéid, and seventeen years later it is still letting light and air in. But who was that boy and what did Gaeilge and Ireland mean to him? Well, that boy was Gabriel Beecham and he is the guest on today’s show. He chats to Darach and Ola about taking the first step of creating the Vicipéid frontpage, the long space be...
Jul 09, 2020•40 min•Ep. 133
It’s been another normal and sane week on the internet. It feels like only yesterday that we were chuckling about the Kardashians asking what the Debs was and Gucci were producing rip-off GAA shorts. Well, last Friday a bit of distinctly Irish culture yet again crossed over into the mainstream when talented midlands hunk Niall Horan was savagely roasted by a puppet of a turkey. For Irish people, no further explanation is needed. And yet… In this week’s episode, Darach and Peadar consider the leg...
Jul 02, 2020•49 min•Ep. 132
One of the participants in “Women in Harmony”, a charity single for Safe Ireland (which tackles domestic abuse) is Eve Belle, a singer songwriter from Donegal. While still in college, she signed with the influential Rubyworks label - the very same people who discovered Hozier and Rodrigo Y Gabriela. In today’s episode she tells Darach and Clodagh about the creative process, moving from the songwriting process to live performance. She talks about how quarantine times have made people conscious of...
Jun 25, 2020•32 min•Ep. 131
Most of us have a very clear idea of what an Irish American is and have an overview of the community's journey from the Famine to the White House. The Irish community in Britain is a different and far more complicated story, however. And since 2016, it has become even more complex. In this week's episode, Darach is joined by Niamh Lear, a PhD candidate at the University of Newcastle. Niamh tells Darach about her research on hybrid Irish identities since Brexit and how a combination of protest an...
Jun 18, 2020•56 min•Ep. 130
Meet John Hyland, an Irish NGO worker whose career took him to Brussels where he fell in love with a French woman. A perfect European love story which led, as these things do, to a perfect European family. But what happens when this most European child, born in one of the world’s most proudly multilingual cities, has a name with a fada? In today’s episode, John tells Darach about his journey to Belgium and gives a whistle-stop tour of a country of contrasts, where divided communities are held to...
Jun 11, 2020•42 min•Ep. 129
This week saw the final episode of Normal People, the hit TV show based on Sally Rooney’s novel set in Trinity College. Rooney’s book is just the latest in Ireland’s long tradition of novels set primarily on university campuses, and in today’s episode, Darach chats with Éimear and Peadar about some of the other ones. Were all the great UCD novels written before the construction of the Belfield campus? Which college novel has a bar named after it? What tale of student life was the first novel in ...
Jun 04, 2020•52 min•Ep. 128
Friend of the pod Póilín Ní Géidigh (@poilination) is back on the show! Since she last joined us (in one of 2019’s most popular episodes of the show) she has taken up quill with the wonderful Irish language website, nos.ie. In addition to her Tuesday lunchtime painting sessions, Póilín is the site’s social media critic, casting her gimlet eye on the mysterious otherworld of online Ireland. In today’s episode, she tells Darach and Peadar about Reply Guys, cancel culture, TikToks, the Gaeltokt and...
May 28, 2020•46 min•Ep. 127
The Irish for bilingual is dátheangach, which literally means two tongued. When Clodagh McGinley isn’t contributing to this podcast, sneaking off to be a guest on other podcasts (hello, “I Love This Band”) or curating her photography on instagram, she’s producing her bilingual zín In the social media age where so much creativity is chopped into chunks of content designed to go viral, zines are prepared in a way that resists this, inviting the reader to look at the entire issue as the “unit” rath...
May 21, 2020•40 min•Ep. 126
Ireland’s relationship with wine is unusual - we drink a lot of it but we do not produce it ourselves, and historically we fall between the stools of Europe and the post-colonial “New World” which divide the wine business. These factors allow us to be completely neutral in deciding which ones we like. So what do we like? And what do we talk about when we talk about wine? Conversations about wine - like conversations about Irish - often heave under the weight of gender roles, social class, geopol...
May 14, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 125
In the past decade, certain subcultures have been identified in social media. Fiat 500 Twitter, FBPE and Scottish Twitter have all been documented to some degree as having their own implied sets of rules, values and norms which are distinct from whatever mainsteam or “normal” is. And then there’s Irish Twitter. Whatever about Ireland itself and wherever you consider its borders to be, Irish Twitter is widely taken to be activist, feminist, outgoing, left-leaning, pop culture hyper-literate and s...
May 07, 2020•40 min•Ep. 124
We had some very fine plans for Season 3, but, like the best laid schemes of mice and men, they have “gang aft agley” (been ruined) by external events. We have been fortunate that the team is all doing well and we send our best wishes to our listeners around the world and their loved ones at this time. In this week’s episode, Peadar and Darach consider how rapid change and displacement are represented in Irish mythology. The story of Tír na nÓg is one of the best known in the Irish canon, one wh...
May 06, 2020•50 min•Ep. 123
To keep you all going during these strange times, here is Motherfoclóir's own Darach Ó Séaghdha in conversation with Sam Blake on another HeadStuff Podcast, Behind the Bestseller. Stay safe and well. .. Non-fiction is a different beast to fiction, and in this episode Sam Blake chats to Darach Ó Séaghdha, the Irish writer, podcaster and Irish language activist. The author of Motherfoclóir: Dispatches from a Not So Dead Language (Head of Zeus, 2017), and Craic Baby (Head of Zeus 2018) Darach won I...
Mar 27, 2020•46 min
“Basic Structure of an Irish Fairytale: Don’t do the thing Does the thing Death” Do you understand what mythology is, and its role in the way all stories are told and heard? Do you understand what TikTok is and why teenagers are spending hours preparing nine-second one-person plays in their bedrooms? How could these two things possibly be linked? Fortunately today we have a guest who can explain both. Donegal’s Róisín McNally is an accomplished TikTok-er with a degree in Celtic Civilisation. She...
Feb 07, 2020•44 min•Ep. 122
It’s a new year and Gráinne Ní Mhuilneoir from An Siopa Leabhar is here to tell us all about the new and upcoming books as Gaeilge in 2020. ====Translations now available==== Asterix agus na Cluichí Oilimpeacha Asterix i gCoill na Cinsealachta Tintin: Ciste Castafiore Tintin: Slat Ríoga Ottakar Asarlaí Oscartha Oz (The Wizard of Oz) Ar Luch agus ar Dhuine (Of Mice and Men) Nioclás Beag (Le Petit Nicolas) ===Original works/Grammar texts=== An Diabhal Déanta, Joe Steve Ó Neachtain Sa Teach seo Ano...
Jan 31, 2020•46 min•Ep. 121
In a way, a band like the Pogues had to form in London rather than on the island of Ireland itself, where they would’ve been primarily associated with their town or county rather than the entire Irish community, as they are. London’s anarchic punk scene in the late 70s and early 80s created an exciting opportunity for the Irish identity to express itself and Shane McGowan’s band ran with it, creating a body of work about exile, colonialism, injustice, war, love, toxic masculinty and loneliness. ...
Jan 24, 2020•59 min•Ep. 120
Talent. Does it actually exist, or is it just an invention that takes credit for the cruel mix of hard work and good luck (or good work and hard luck) which decides our fate? Maybe we can find out by watching a talent show. Or maybe we can ask Síomha Ní Ruairc, presenter of TG4’s An Ríl Deal and Réalta agus Gaolta. She tells Peadar and Darach about how Gaeilge opened doors for her on her route to television work, growing up with Irish in the home and the right amount of boldness. Plus, Darach ad...
Jan 17, 2020•38 min•Ep. 119
Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it. That’s a quote attributed to the Roman senator Publius Syrus, who also said that a good reputation is more valuable than money. We hear a lot on the radio and in the news about how much Irish costs. But what do costs mean outside the context of value? We know that a car or house might be insured for one amount, sell for different figure and be taxed based on a third value. If value is so uncertain for something so physical, how do we measur...
Jan 10, 2020•39 min•Ep. 118
When we in Ireland think of Irish-America, our minds tend to rush towards rivers died green, New York cops and maybe even a Massachusetts political dynasty. But there’s a lot more to the story than that. In particular, the Appalachian region, crossing multiple states, has its own culture and identity distinct from its neighbours in the South and Midwest, of which Irish music and language have made a significant contribution. In this week’s episode, Darach and Peadar chat to Rebecca Wells, a sing...
Jan 03, 2020•41 min•Ep. 117
Listen. Sure lookit. Na Daoine Uaisle. The fairy folk.. We wouldn't want to be bothering them. In this week's episode, Gearóidín, Peadar and Darach tiptoe around the delicate business of addressing the folk of the otherworld. What do those beautiful weirdos want? Síofras? Sex? Gold? We also consider which Irish people might actually be from the faerie/sí community. --- Get Kirsten Shiel art prints here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/kirstenshiel/ Support for this episode comes from Foras na Gae...
Dec 27, 2019•48 min•Ep. 116
What a year. What a week. What a decade! It’s Christmastime again and Darach, Peadar and Gearóidín have met up to reflect on the passing of time. In this week’s episode they look at the 2010s as the decade when the Irish language and social media became acquainted with each other, starting with the #sneachta hashtag and ending with an election in our neighbouring state that has made hitherto hypothetical questions about identity and Irishness more urgent. We consider the memes and Irish words of...
Dec 20, 2019•57 min•Ep. 115
If this episode of Motherfoclóir is exactly as long as your psychotherapy session, maybe that’s not a coincidence. Poor old Podcast Dad Darach is on the couch this week, whining like a man-baby about his terrible, afflicted adolescence at a Jesuit school. The experience gave him a lifelong suspicion of the order and their academic output, up to and including the jewel in the crown of the Irish Texts Society - Foclóir Gaeilge Béarla by Father Patrick S. Dinneen. In this week’s episode, Peadar and...
Dec 13, 2019•48 min•Ep. 114
After five years of preparation and development, the RIA have released “A History of Ireland in 100 Words” in 2019. The book looks at the stories behind words found in the Academy’s Dictionary of the Irish Language (www.dil.ie) in an accessible way. Naturally, it was ony a matter of time before the Motherfoclóir team hunted them down! In today’s episode, Éimear and Darach chat to Sharon Arbuthnot, one of the three authors of this book. She talks about the collaborative writing process, how peopl...
Dec 06, 2019•45 min•Ep. 113
Maynooth holds a special place in the heart of this show. Two of the core crew - Éimear and Peadar - are Maynooth graduates, and our most popular episode to date is a sensational live show at the Maynooth Students’ Union featuring a difficult rooster. Today we’re considering another aspect of that university’s gift to the world - specifically, its gift to Irish hip hop. Tebi Rex, one of Ireland’s most exciting hip hop groups, formed in the hallowed halls of the Big Kildare Priest Factory and on ...
Nov 29, 2019•41 min•Ep. 112
It’s Dublin Podcast Festival time again! This year the Motherfoclóir gang appeared as part of a double bill with The Irish Passport at The Button Factory on November 17th. This episode is the live recording of that show, edited for brevity and clarity. In a world where so many TV and movie franchises have grinded to a halt or are on hiatus, Darach wanted to alert Hollywood to the fact that Irish history, literature and mythology has a wealth of untapped source material for them to consider for t...
Nov 22, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 111
The 2010s will go down as an extremely significant decade in Irish literature in both of our official languages. The bailout and its aftermath affected the country heterogeneously and the literary scream in response to this uneven scourging was delivered in uneven voices: younger, more rural, less aspirational, more accented. While the Celtic Tiger wrote about the recent past with the smugness of a returned backpacker dropping off a year’s worth of laundry, these new voices had a distinctly diff...
Nov 15, 2019•50 min•Ep. 110
One of the most talked about, well loved and critically acclaimed TV shows of the past year has been the second season of Fleabag, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s titular character finding an unlikely connection with an Irish priest. The pressure put on their mutual attraction by his vow of celibacy is a rich source of comedy and drama. This is not the first time such a topic has been examined by a long shot, however. In today’s show, Darach chats to Peadar and Clodagh about Cúirt an Mheán Oíche by ...
Nov 08, 2019•37 min•Ep. 109
Welcome to our annual spooky Samhain episode! Darach is joined by Peadar and Gearóidín to share their best Irish haunted house stories. Hear all about Mag from Laois, mischievous Gertrude Curran from Rathfarnham and the terrifying secrets of Lep Castle. Please mind your pets this Hallowe'en. --- Get Kirsten Shiel art prints here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/kirstenshiel/ Order from www.dropchef.com using the code “MOFO” mentioned in this podcast for a €15 discount --- Contact the show: twitte...
Oct 31, 2019•50 min•Ep. 108
It is a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible season. That's the view of Motherfoclóir's Clodagh McGinley, who is unimpressed by the golden leaves, soft sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes that mark the autumn months. In today's bonus episode she joins Darach to discuss some autumnal words, plant names and vegetarian vocabulary…. and that annoying ad with the guitarist at the laundrette. --- Get Kirsten Shiel art prints here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/kirstenshiel/ Order from ...
Oct 29, 2019•39 min•Ep. 107
This week Darach, Ola and Peadar are joined by bilingual broadcasting superstar Hector Ó hEochagáin. Since his breakout success with the Amú series in the early 2000s, Hector has become one-name-famous and one of Ireland’s best loved broadcasters. In this week’s episode he tells the gang how he found his way into the television world, how TG4 is like a family and the importance of making a simple human connection in a world of extremes. He also talks about his travel through America’s Deep South...
Oct 24, 2019•50 min•Ep. 106
Every few months on the Irish side of the internet, a certain debate pops up about the spelling of a word. The word refers to convivial merriment, especially in an Irish context. But should it be spelled crack or craic? The reason this discussion can withstand multiple rounds of debate hinges on the way that the word and the stories of its origins overlap with other recurring debates: on Irish identity and smugness, on Gaeilge and if/when it stopped giving new loanwords to English, and on contra...
Oct 17, 2019•51 min•Ep. 105
